Official 2012 Princess Half Marathon Thread!

[freepixie]

Another question!

OK so when I've been running I sweat pretty hard - what do you all do to keep the sweat out of your eyes while running? It burned my eyes a little tonight, and I'm still doing the treadmill!

 

[HockeyKat]

Some people like Bondi Bands? Outside I wear a hat or a visor.

You may also want to use a small hand towel to wipe away sweat - that is what I do at the gym on the treadmill and sometimes even outside on long runs.

 

[mickey's miles]

I have my first 5K on Saturday and I am a nervous wreck! I started running with the Princess Half as my ultimate goal over Mother's Day weekend, and thought the 5k would be a good short-term goal to work towards ... and I have worked hard and my running has gotten better.

Is it normal to feel THIS nervous??? I am only running to finish, and to maybe do better than my best time while training ... but am still putting so much pressure on myself.

Any suggestions (other than to just "chil" b/c that's just not happening ...

 

[stitchfan18]

Another question!

OK so when I've been running I sweat pretty hard - what do you all do to keep the sweat out of your eyes while running? It burned my eyes a little tonight, and I'm still doing the treadmill!

I wear bondibands and love them!

I have my first 5K on Saturday and I am a nervous wreck! I started running with the Princess Half as my ultimate goal over Mother's Day weekend, and thought the 5k would be a good short-term goal to work towards ... and I have worked hard and my running has gotten better.

Is it normal to feel THIS nervous??? I am only running to finish, and to maybe do better than my best time while training ... but am still putting so much pressure on myself.

Any suggestions (other than to just "chil" b/c that's just not happening ...

Good luck on saturday! Just remember the same rules for the 5k that we've been talking about for the princess. Eat a dinner the night before you are familiar with, eat something for breakfast that you normally eat before runs, no new clothes/ shoes, etc. Don't start out too fast at the beginning. It's so hard with the excitement and adrenaline of the race, but really tell yourself to slow down. Chances are you'll 'slow down' to your normal pace and will have energy to really push yourself at the end instead of running out of gas too soon. Most importantly, enjoy yourself! You already know you're going to PR!

 

[freepixie]

Thanks! I will have to go take a look at those bondi bands Cause I don't wanna go blind from sweat in my eye

 

[Disfan11]

I have my first 5K on Saturday and I am a nervous wreck! I started running with the Princess Half as my ultimate goal over Mother's Day weekend, and thought the 5k would be a good short-term goal to work towards ... and I have worked hard and my running has gotten better.

Is it normal to feel THIS nervous??? I am only running to finish, and to maybe do better than my best time while training ... but am still putting so much pressure on myself.

Any suggestions (other than to just "chil" b/c that's just not happening ...

You will do great!
You have been training for this race.
As others have said, it's really easy to get caught up in going with the crowd. Try to stay at the pace you trained with.
Have a lot of fun since this is your first competitive race.
Take some pictures to remember it by.
Buy a shirt to show that you did it! Wear the shirt to work the next day!
Be proud of yourself. Everyone on this message board is rooting for you!

 

[stitchfan18]

Thanks! I will have to go take a look at those bondi bands Cause I don't wanna go blind from sweat in my eye

If you have any races near you, you can go check them out at the expo. They are at every expo around here, both big and small. If you want to order online, use the code 'five' to get 5 for $25 dollars.

 

[Neelym]

Super hot here too - we are almost neighbors!

I have been resorting to the treadmill for short runs. Just too hot out, unless you get up super early and I am not good with that.

Hope you didn't melt!

I am from Raleigh! How fun is that. I ran on Monday for about a mile but took the rest of my week's runs inside at the gym. I do want some training in the humidity, but not too much!

 

[disneyfreak1]

If you have any races near you, you can go check them out at the expo. They are at every expo around here, both big and small. If you want to order online, use the code 'five' to get 5 for $25 dollars.

Do they usually have a good selection? I am running the 5K at the Wine and Dine, but I would like to get a tiara one for the Princess Half. Hopefully I can pick a couple up at the Wine and Dine expo.

 

[Neelym]

I have my first 5K on Saturday and I am a nervous wreck! I started running with the Princess Half as my ultimate goal over Mother's Day weekend, and thought the 5k would be a good short-term goal to work towards ... and I have worked hard and my running has gotten better.

Is it normal to feel THIS nervous??? I am only running to finish, and to maybe do better than my best time while training ... but am still putting so much pressure on myself.

Any suggestions (other than to just "chil" b/c that's just not happening ...

You are going to do great. I, too, was very nervous before my first 5k and my first 10K. Once you do one, some the nervousness goes away. Keep your own pace and drink water and you will do great! Good Luck!

 

[mickey's miles]

You will do great!
You have been training for this race.
As others have said, it's really easy to get caught up in going with the crowd. Try to stay at the pace you trained with.
Have a lot of fun since this is your first competitive race.
Take some pictures to remember it by.
Buy a shirt to show that you did it! Wear the shirt to work the next day!
Be proud of yourself. Everyone on this message board is rooting for you!

Thank you for your support! It is such a comfort to have a place to ask questions, learn, root for others, and be a part of a great community!!

 

[SAHDad]

I have my first 5K on Saturday and I am a nervous wreck! I started running with the Princess Half as my ultimate goal over Mother's Day weekend, and thought the 5k would be a good short-term goal to work towards ... and I have worked hard and my running has gotten better.

Is it normal to feel THIS nervous??? I am only running to finish, and to maybe do better than my best time while training ... but am still putting so much pressure on myself.

Any suggestions (other than to just "chil" b/c that's just not happening ...

First off, some advice that I happened to overhear at a recent race - "You'll be fiiiiiiiiine." (And yes, he really drew it out like that. Took a good ten seconds to say it.)

Don't do anything new before the race. Eat the same stuff you normally would the night before, and morning of. Wear the same clothes you would wear for a run - even if there was a new shirt at the expo that you had to have, or you just got a new pair of shoes, a race is not the time to try them. (Disclaimer - I have not always done this. Do as I say, not as I do. Learn from my foolishness. )

Get to the starting area earlier than you think you would need to be there. Wander around, use the facilities, etc. At most races, people tend to (but not always) line themselves up at the start according to pace. Placing yourself in the starting area with people who will be going at about your pace will help you avoid going out too fast.

When you finish, don't just stop and flop down on the grass somewhere. While it is not as crucial for a 5k as it is for a half marathon (or a longer race), the worst thing you can do right after a race is stop moving altogether. Walk around for a few minutes - if they have water available, take some. Ditto for orange slices, bananas, bagels, whatever. After five or ten minutes, you can sit, but not right away.

Anecdote time - the Illinios marathon (and half marathon) ends up on the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium at UIUC. A lot of people cross the finish line, walk until they have their medal, and then flop down in the first empty space they can find. And, after ten to twenty minutes, they sit back up. And struggle to stand, and then, once they are up, look around and realize that they have to climb stairs in order to leave. By contrast, the ones who walk around for a few minutes, but do not sit, can get up the stairs with relative ease.

I like to take a change of clothes for after the race. A simple change of clothes (even if it is just shirt, socks & shoes that get changed) can make a world of difference in how you feel.

Enjoy it. Have fun. It's automatically a PR. Enjoy that too. Just FYI - it's generally considered bad luck to wear the race shirt until you have finished the race.

 

[princess.april120]

When I get the medal - and I am keeping that confidence that I will get that medal - I wish I could look up all my old gym teachers, send them a pic of me with that medal cause I feel like it would be sticking my middle finger at them for all their torture through those difficult years!

OMG!!! I am so laughing with you on this one! I too was that kid in gym, and to top it off, my dad was the gym teacher... I still have never forgiven him for not training me up the summer before and then giving me a "C" in PE! The only thing that kept me from an "F" was that at least I participated...

Three cheers for us, for surviving those painful years and going on to do The Princess now, while many of the classmates who made fun of us at the time are now certified couch potatoes!!!!

 

[MHT to MCO]

Tanya - I hope you didn't melt last night!

Mickey's Miles - good luck on your first 5k! We've signed up for our first in June. I"m glad that I'll have my cousins there with me. If you are still jittery on race day, maybe you can make up a game to distract yourself. As you're getting yourself situated amongst the other runners maybe you can count the number of Saucony or Nike shoes, look for the "goofiest" outfit (no pun intended) or strike up a conversation with another runner - chances are they may be nervous too! You're going to do great, and I know you'll be proud of yourself afterwards!

 

[slp1650]

When I get the medal - and I am keeping that confidence that I will get that medal - I wish I could look up all my old gym teachers, send them a pic of me with that medal cause I feel like it would be sticking my middle finger at them for all their torture through those difficult years!

I totally understand! I had a doctor who told me I would never run again (when I was about 13) and I have been dying to go back and be like... "make sure when you tell someone they CAN"T, that there's absolutely positively no way because you could have just screwed up my life. Good thing I didn't listen to you."

I also took both my DL medal from last year and my Princess Medal to my NCAA swim coach and proudly showed them off. The first time, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe that I had done a half marathon. He knew I could if I tried, but just didn't think I ever would. He was extremely proud of me, which felt great. Although, when he asked me my time and I mentioned I had stopped to take pictures he told me I was crazy and I should be focusing on the race, not pictures. Luckily, I knew he was joking and we laughed about it. To this day he is still one of my biggest supporters (even though I quit the team after my 2nd year).

The medals and t-shirts are a great way to show off your accomplishment everytime you wear them and show them off. I know I wear my "I did it!" and race t-shirts all the time

 

[HockeyKat]

I am from Raleigh! How fun is that. I ran on Monday for about a mile but took the rest of my week's runs inside at the gym. I do want some training in the humidity, but not too much!

Cool!!

There is a Raleigh Galloway training program, if you are at all interested in the Galloway method. It meets every Saturday at 7AM (6:30 in July and Aug) to do the weekly long run. Right now we are at 6 miles but will ramp up to 10 and stay there. There are about 450 members, and all pace group levels from 7min miles to 15 min miles.

Let me know if you are interested via PM and I will send you details! It really makes the miles go by faster to have friends with you.

 

[stitchfan18]

Do they usually have a good selection? I am running the 5K at the Wine and Dine, but I would like to get a tiara one for the Princess Half. Hopefully I can pick a couple up at the Wine and Dine expo.

I got a tiara band at the wine and dine expo. I'm pretty sure they have them at all the disney expos.

 

[disneyfreak1]

I got a tiara band at the wine and dine expo. I'm pretty sure they have them at all the disney expos.

Cool. That's what I was hoping to hear! I will just wait until then to pick one up.

 

[freepixie]

If you have any races near you, you can go check them out at the expo. They are at every expo around here, both big and small. If you want to order online, use the code 'five' to get 5 for $25 dollars.

Thank you! All the races around here are pretty small scale, there really aren't any expo's, even the marathon here is pretty low-key, so I will be ordering online! Thanks for the code!!!

OMG!!! I am so laughing with you on this one! I too was that kid in gym, and to top it off, my dad was the gym teacher... I still have never forgiven him for not training me up the summer before and then giving me a "C" in PE! The only thing that kept me from an "F" was that at least I participated...

Three cheers for us, for surviving those painful years and going on to do The Princess now, while many of the classmates who made fun of us at the time are now certified couch potatoes!!!!

I was a straight-A student in everything but gym class!! I'm with you with the "C" I think just because I showed up! lol

I totally understand! I had a doctor who told me I would never run again (when I was about 13) and I have been dying to go back and be like... "make sure when you tell someone they CAN"T, that there's absolutely positively no way because you could have just screwed up my life. Good thing I didn't listen to you."

I also took both my DL medal from last year and my Princess Medal to my NCAA swim coach and proudly showed them off. The first time, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe that I had done a half marathon. He knew I could if I tried, but just didn't think I ever would. He was extremely proud of me, which felt great. Although, when he asked me my time and I mentioned I had stopped to take pictures he told me I was crazy and I should be focusing on the race, not pictures. Luckily, I knew he was joking and we laughed about it. To this day he is still one of my biggest supporters (even though I quit the team after my 2nd year).

The medals and t-shirts are a great way to show off your accomplishment everytime you wear them and show them off. I know I wear my "I did it!" and race t-shirts all the time

See that is my motivation too, whenever anyone has told me that I can't do something, I like to prove them wrong!!

 

[mickey's miles]

Ran my first 5k today and it was awesome!!! I beat my own goal (my goal was 38 min) - I ran it in 36! I really focused on all the tips I received from this board - I did not run like a mad woman at the beginning but kept my pace ... and I had fun!!

I am definitely hooked, and really appreciate everyone's kind words and suggestions! Can't wait for the Princess (but am planning on doing some 5K and 10Ks in between!!!)!!!!